Prevention the best cure
What you need to know:
- Most people who get infected with Covid-19 experience mild to moderate respiratory discomfort.
- They recover without needing special treatment while others remain asymptomatic.
The Covid-19 pandemic is less than five months away from marking its first anniversary. The death toll from the disease which the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global pandemic, is fast approaching the million mark with about 400 cases accounted for by Kenya.
One notable aspect of the disease is that the elderly, especially those with pre-existing chronic conditions, are at a greater risk of its devastating effects.
Most people who get infected with Covid-19 experience mild to moderate respiratory discomfort and recover without needing special treatment while others remain asymptomatic.
However, those with pre-existing conditions — such as heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, respiratory disorders and cancer — bear the brunt of the virus as it takes advantage of their already compromised health status.
The incidence of chronic diseases increases markedly with age. Most patients with chronic conditions are over 65. The onset, however, starts in middle age, gradually taking hold as years wear on.
These conditions arise, for the most part, as a result of prolonged indulgence in an unhealthy lifestyle characterised by lack of regular physical activity and consumption of unhealthy diet, excessive use of tobacco and/or alcohol.
Age-related bodily changes
These habits, coupled with an inherent genetic factor and age-related bodily changes, increase the likelihood of developing chronic diseases.
A doctor I was consulting in India in 2015 told me the hospital raked in a fortune as most of its patients are those who decide to sit and not walk. A sedentary lifestyle adds the risk of chronic illnesses.
Let those with pre-existing conditions adhere to their medication regimens and seek medical care if they experience Covid-19 symptoms.
Let’s keep active and avoid unhealthy diet, excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco use. Prevention has much greater benefit-cost ratio than treatment or any other after-the-fact measures.
Dr Kerima teaches biochemistry at Moi University. [email protected].
